Hello, one and all! I am Red, resident Sword Nerd and connoisseur of all things slashy and stabby. Since there are WAY too many types and subtypes of melee weapons out there, most of them the victim of misconception and some of them outright unknown, I thought about making a Forum explaining the various types of swords, polearms, and similar weaponry - the very text you're reading right now!
Before we start, a few disclaimers:
- While I have done plenty of research on the subject, being (to put it mildly) an absolute nerd on all things weapon-y, I have firsthand experience with very few weapons. So while you can consider my information to be mostly accurate, I am no swordsman or something.
- While I have named this forum after swords, since they have BY FAR the widest range of subtypes to their name, I will also treat polearms, clubs, and other such melee weapons. I will only avoid talking about ranged armaments, because my knowledge of melee weapons sadly doesn't extend to guns and bows just yet.
- While I will talk about these weapons from a realistic perspective, this is only to give you a foundation to build upon. Remember: rule of cool reigns supreme. Wanna use a greatsword one-handed? Sure! Wanna use a two-bladed sword Sith Lord style? Go for it! Wanna rotate your swords above your head so fast you move like a helicopter? Par for the course! This guide will only provide you with the basic information on how such a weapon would be wielded - everything else is up to you!
Category One: Swords, Daggers & Greatswords[]
THE most varied types of weapons you will ever see, the sword and its cousins, smaller or bigger may they be, have always been a very common (and, if I may be biased, BADASS) sight in Roleplay. Let's look over them!
Longsword[]
Look at that, an example of a longsword from our very own wiki, no less!
The quintessential sword everyone imagines, a Longsword can do it all: balanced in attack, speed and maneuverability, able to be wielded with one or two hands, and with a double edge for extra versatility, this thing has no area it cannot be used in! Overall, it's an excellent choice for all-rounders, but remember: It may be good at everything, but it's not great at any one thing: assuming you're not massively stronger than your enemy already, you still won't be able to parry a greatsword coming your way, you know?
Shortsword[]
When it comes to shanking someone half a dozen times, accept no substitutes
The longsword's shorter sibling, a Shortsword is a valuable sidearm: fast, easy to carry, and very maneuverable, it's a worthwhile alternative to the Longsword for those who, for whatever reason, don't want to commit as much to their sword (historically, for example, it was often used by archers in the event they were caught in melee!), at the obvious price of having less attack power and reach. It's not main weapon material unless you decide to dual-wield it, but it's an excellent secondary weapon to use if necessary.
Rapier[]
Uuuuh, fancy!
An elegant weapon for a more civilized age, the Rapier is predominantly a thrusting sword with supreme speed and maneuverability. This is not to say it cannot slash, but it's not nearly as good as its cousins like the saber. As a Rapier user, your job is either to annoy the enemy with three million attacks a second, or to deliver that one debilitating strike with tremendous precision. Either way, you have NO defensive abilities whatsoever - your ability to block is nonexistent, and you can only rely on dodging or parrying the enemy if needed. Always be on your toes and never stand still, regardless of what approach you go for.
Saber[]
...Hopefully your character's not on the receiving end of this one.
Just like how the rapier is a predominantly thrusting weapon that can slash if necessary, the saber is a predominantly slashing weapon that can thrust if necessary. Often curved and always single-edged, it is more forward heavy than a longsword and, in the hands of a good wielder, it can command constant control of the flow of battle, turning the fight into a repetition of slashes, blocks and parries that snowballs incredibly quickly. Be careful not to get thrown off, though - if you ever lose control of the blade, its forward-heavy nature means you'll have one very big opening the opponent can exploit.
Cutlass[]
Now THAT's a weapon worthy of a king.
A Cutlass is often a bigger, less curved saber witg a large cup guard defending your hand. Let me tell you, being hit by this thing HURTS, and it is no slouch defensively either with its large guard and sturdy constitution. Is it slower than its cousins? Yeah, but it's still a bit faster than a greatsword, and it's good for those who want some extra power and tankiness without compromising on speed too much and maintaining good maneuverability, especially considering these things are still mostly one-handed weapons!
Greatsword[]
By all accounts, it was nothing more. Than a hulking mass of iron.
Now, the image I just used may mislead you into thinking a greatsword is a heavy, lumbering nuke of a sword. And it's... Well, not 100% incorrect. While they are slower than swords for obvious reasons, these bad boys are historically much lighter than you think, with some even being a mere six pounds! Which is in line with their function: Crowd control against large numbers of opponents, in which you would windmill the sword around and either smack someone into last year or make everyone too scared to get within five feet of you. Now, since we're in Anime, you can just say "Screw that" and make your greatsword the Dragonslayer's second coming. Just remember: both interpretations are valid! You can have a heavy, big-ass beatstick of a sword, or a lighter weapon better fit for crowd control - it all depends on the approach you want to take!
Addendum: Flame-Bladed Swords[]
...Is it surprising that fire-attributed characters wield these EVERY TIME?
Now that we've mentioned both of their most common representatives (Rapiers and Greatswords), we can talk about Flame-Bladed Swords. Whether you call them Flamberges, Flammenschwerts or Flambards, these things are constructed using a certain technique that leads to the blades being wavy, like a flame - hence the name. This same technique grants some relatively niche advantages (i.e. making it harder for the opponents to parry it and being less likely to break than their more common counterparts), but if I may be allowed some level of bias, it's just too cool for me not to at least mention it in passing! WE NEED MORE OF THESE, THEY LOOK SO COOL!
Katana[]
If you can recognize what series I got this from without googling, you're awesome.
...We're an anime community, I doubt the Katana needs much of an introduction. A traditional Japanese sword, this thing is not as easy to wield as Zoro would have you believe: They're actually two-handed weapons! It is a very balanced weapon, comparable to longswords in a lot of aspects and heavily adaptable to whatever style the individual wielder uses - while its more western counterparts are just decent at everything, katana can be seen as capable of specializing in any one area. Especially in RP context, you'll rarely find two wielders of a katana behaving in the same way.